Metroparks Reminds You Not to Be an Asshole If You Visit a Park During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Get outside, they say.

Take a walk. Take a hike. Grab the dog. Get some fresh air.

It's good advice, and Gov. DeWine and Dr. Acton have mentioned it themselves. Fresh air is one of the few salves in this otherwise dire and stressful period of quarantine, but people here and elsewhere seem to think that just because you're outside means that you don't have to follow good safety guidelines.

Reports of packed parks — the Metroparks, dog parks, any expanse of green grass, it would seem — were frequent last week, and similar observations have been made about folks in New York who have picnicked like it's any old spring day or people in D.C. who stood shoulder-to-shoulder to check out the cherry blossoms or ostensibly intelligent human beings who jogged within feet of each other, huffing and puffing, around Chicago.

Don't be those people. Give wide — perhaps extra, extra wide berths — to anyone you see on the sidewalk or path. Perhaps choose another spot if your first, second or even third choice looks pretty crowded. Be courteous. Be safe. Don't be an asshole.